The Art of Moderating and Lion Taming

My first time moderating an advisory board, I had the distinct feeling of being a lion tamer in a cage without a chair or whip for protection. The panel of 15 KOLs had three who loved the sound of their own voices and assumed everyone else would as well. Some other participants may have been shy – but almost all were unwilling to compete, disagree, or offer alternative opinions. I thought there had to be a better way of moderating a group like this. Through talking to others who excel at moderating, some Internet research, and my own evolving experience, I have landed on these 10 moderating tips as particularly useful.

Lay the groundwork for what’s to come before the event begins. If possible, share the questions that will be asked with the participants. Politely communicate to them the ground rules for the event. Let each person know you’ll be limiting the amount of time each person gets to speak so that everyone will have a chance to be heard. Apologize in advance if you have to cut off some of the more loquacious.

Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Have a strong introduction that communicates the goals for the session, identifies the members of the meeting or panel, and explains why they’ve been asked to contribute to the topic. If there is an audience, make them aware of the ground rules that have been set for the participants, including how long each will speak and when Q&A will occur. Some meetings benefit from questions at the end of each topic and some, at the end of the meeting.

Respect the time of your panel and audience. Keep an eye on the clock. Consider how much you have to accomplish and allot the appropriate amount of time for each topic. Some topics will warrant more time than others. Stick to your timeline or you will be rushing through the final questions and not effectively accomplishing anyone’s goals.

Identify participants by name. Use tent cards or a list of all participants and where each is sitting. You get someone’s attention a lot faster when you use their name and doing so reminds the audience who is speaking.

Keep notes of the conversations and key statements throughout the session. At the end of the meeting, you’ll be fully prepared to summarize what was memorable, agreed upon, and accomplished. If appropriate, display the notes for all to see.

If you, as Moderator, are also expected to contribute to the conversation, speak last. It shows respect for the other participants’ ideas and contributions. If you have something new to offer, do so. If not, don’t take up time, move on. When you do contribute, be non-judgmental to avoid dismissing panel or audience members who might disagree. If the goal of the meeting is to establish a consensus, a timeline, or next steps, demonstrate openness to everyone’s ideas and be accepting and supportive of the outcome. Do this even if it’s not the decision you would have made. Let your behavior set the example for others.

As a general rule, you should only be talking at most 20% of the time. This includes your open and close. The panel and audience members should speak 80% of the time.

When you have meeting or panel members who seem shy or are just not contributing, use what I call “the army method of volunteering.” You might want to give a heads up by letting the person know that after the current speaker you’d like to hear from them next. One of your primary goals as moderator is to ensure that everyone contributes.

Manage the Q&A session well. Not only for time but to make sure as many people as possible get to ask their questions. If an answer becomes epically long, intercede with a simple phrase like, “for the sake of time, I apologize but I need to move forward.” Always be polite but remain in control.

Deliver a solid closing. During your closing, highlight key learnings, next steps, and how the audience might be able to get more information.

At the end of the day, the openness, focus, and energy you exhibit while moderating will act as a model for everyone else’s behavior. Most importantly, these moderating tips will bring out the best in your panelists and be valuable for the audience.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jerry Michaels brings his dual expertise in psychology and communications to help healthcare clients prepare for crucial scientific meetings, media interviews, and crisis public relations. Jerry excels at developing communication strategies, analyzing the strengths of presenters, and coaching them to maximize their performance. With a Master’s Degree in Psychology from New York University, Jerry has created and conducted programs on case-based learning, healthcare provider and patient communication, effective product launches, and crisis communications. Connect with Jerry on LinkedIn.

It is the current policy of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to convene expert Advisory Committees to provide input on key regulatory decisions regarding opioid products, including approval and labeling of opioid abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs). Advisory Committee meetings on ADF opioids consider whether the laboratory and clinical data…

Getting Approval for Abuse-Deterrent Opioids in the Era of an Opioid Epidemic

February 14, 2018

More than 42,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose in 2016. The number of deaths each year from opioids now surpasses the number of Americans who died each year from AIDS at the height of that epidemic in the mid-1990s. While misuse and abuse of prescription opioid medications is a…

The Debrief on Briefing Documents: How to Maximize Your Briefing Book for FDA Advisory Committee Meetings

December 7, 2017

At an FDA Advisory Committee (ADCOM) meeting – one of the most important days in a product’s development – Sponsors typically have no more than 75 minutes to credibly and persuasively explain their entire development program. The stakes are high because the committee plays a key role in influencing the…

The New FDA Focus: “Business as Usual” Now Includes Paying Attention to the Cost of Drug Development

October 19, 2017

In the “old days” (aka, last year), the FDA rarely mentioned the “cost of drug development.” The line between research and development (R&D) costs and regulatory was clear and not to be breached. And when the term “price” entered the vernacular, FDA officials were consistent in their message that the…